This is your brain on the Internet

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:09:00 +0000

When I’m riding the L train underneath lower Manhattan, I practically start to shake with anticipation as we approach 6th Avenue, where everyone with an iPhone knows 3G service magically resumes. We all reach for our devices simultaneously, but as relieved as I am to scroll through my Instagram feed, there’s that corresponding pang of guilt. We’ve all been so fixated on this idea of screen addiction being indicative of the “big problem” with technology; I know if you’re reading this you’re probably self-conscious about how much time you spend staring at glowing rectangles, too. So why are we so anxious about our love for the screen, and what exactly is this constant connection doing to the way we relate to the world around us?

Wired-up writers have mobilized a lot of braincells recently exploring the split between online and embodied life, arguing over the potential for real connection, meaning, and engagement in the network.

Salon.com > Max Pearl

This is your brain on the Internet